Mathebula made his professional debut on 17 February 2001, and has been managed and trained by Nick Durandt and promoted by Branco Sports Promotions. Mathebula defeated Julio Zarate via a
unanimous decision with the scores of 117–109 twice and 118–109 in an
IBF super bantamweight title eliminator in Temba on 29 August 2008, after knocking him down twice in the tenth-round. He was supposed to challenge the then IBF super bantamweight champion
Steve Molitor, but Molitor lost to
Celestino Caballero. Hence, Mathebula fought against Caballero for the
WBA Super World and IBF World super bantamweight title. However, he lost his first world title shot against Caballero via a
split decision at the
Roberto Duran Arena in Panama on 30 April 2009. After losing to
Takalani Ndlovu via a split decision in an IBF junior featherweight title eliminator in
Brakpan, Gauteng in September 2010, It was the
SABC-televised first boxing event after one year interruption. ==Mathebula v. Donaire==